The Rock Addresses Box Office Struggles of The Smashing Machine – Following a rough opening weekend for his latest film, The Smashing Machine, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson addressed fans with a message of gratitude and perspective. The A24-produced biopic, in which Johnson portrays MMA legend Mark Kerr, recorded the lowest box office debut of his movie career but has earned strong critical praise for his performance.
As noted, the film brought in $6 million domestically during its North American opening, well below its $50 million production budget and short of the projected $8–15 million range. It ranked third for the weekend, finishing behind Taylor Swift’s The Official Release Party of a Showgirl and the war drama One Battle After Another. Until now, Johnson’s 2010 thriller Faster held his lowest debut record.
Despite the disappointing numbers, Johnson used Instagram to express gratitude for the experience and pride in the project’s creative journey. “In our storytelling world, you can’t control box office results – but what I realized you can control is your performance, and your commitment to completely disappear and go elsewhere,” he wrote. Johnson praised director Benny Safdie and shared that making the film “changed his life,” emphasizing how much the role of Mark Kerr meant to him both professionally and personally.
While The Smashing Machine has underperformed financially, critical reception has been largely positive. The film currently holds a 74 percent approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with particular acclaim for Johnson’s transformation into the emotionally tormented MMA icon. Reviewers have highlighted it as one of his most powerful and vulnerable performances to date, marking a distinct turn from his usual blockbuster roles.
The Rock Addresses Box Office Struggles of The Smashing Machine
